The Heinous Error of Hyper-Calvinism

“I listen to some of you guys out there, hyper-reformed boys, you’re concerned if you preach the gospel to the wrong person, the wrong person might get saved. So you don’t want to preach it too good, ‘well wait a minute, I don’t think you should’ve been getting saved, I’m not sure you’re in the group.’ What do you mean in the group! If you breathe you’re in the group! If you have ears to hear you’re in the group! And if you choose not to respond it’s your own fault, not God’s.”
- Alistair Begg

During my days at seminary, I spoke with one of my mentors, Dr. Roy Fish, about the differences between Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism.  During our conversation, I blurted out, “Dr. Fish, I’m certain I detest hyper-Calvinism even more than you do!”  As Dr. Tom Ascol has rightly noted, “The error of hyper-Calvinism can only emerge where true Calvinism has taken root. It is a perverting error. It distorts that which is good and true. It is a parasite which sucks the life out of its host.”

It is unfortunate, but this pejorative label is often attached to Calvinists who are “Five-Point Calvinists” and affirm the doctrines of unconditional election and particular redemption.  It is also often applied to those who hold to supralapsarianism.  Supralapsarianism is the view that God, contemplating humanity as yet unfallen, chose some as recipients of His grace while rejecting others.  It teaches the divine decree of election logically preceded the decrees to create and permit the Fall.  In other words, damnation is first an act of divine sovereignty and secondly an act of divine justice.  While this is a form of High Calvinism, it is not necessarily hyper-Calvinism (although hyper-Calvinists are always supralapsarians*).

Those holding to the doctrines of unconditional election, particular redemption, and supralapsarianism are solidly within the boundaries of orthodox Reformed theology and cannot be described accurately as hyper-Calvinists.  Even those who, like John Piper, refer to themselves as “Seven-Point Calvinists” cannot be described accurately as hyper-Calvinists.  Dr. Piper, as did Calvin, affirms double-predestination.  Double predestination holds that God not only chooses whom He will save, but also in the same manner determines whom He will not save.  There are many Calvinists (Infralapsarians such as myself) who reject this point, believing that while God chooses the elect, those who remain unrepentant do so entirely as a matter of their own choosing.  Dr. Piper claims the “seventh point” of Calvinism is that “God governs the course of history so that, in the long run, His glory will be more fully displayed and His people more fully satisfied than would have been the case in any other world.”  These two points neither exceed the boundaries of orthodox Calvinism, nor constitute hyper-Calvinism.

“Hyper” comes from the Greek huper, meaning “excessive or excessively; over, beyond.”  A hyper-Calvinist is one, therefore, who exceeds orthodox Calvinism and goes over and beyond the boundaries of what Calvinism affirms.  Hyper-Calvinism goes too far in emphasizing particular aspects of the Divine character, and does so at the expense of others.  It over-emphasizes God’s sovereignty while de-emphasizing His love, and sets divine sovereignty against human responsibility.  Because of its de-emphasis on divine love and denial of human responsibility, hyper-Calvinism militates against evangelism and the offer of the gospel to all people in all places.

So, what exactly constitutes hyper-Calvinistic theology?  The following beliefs, either in part or in whole, have generally characterized that system and that spirit which have exceeded Calvinism:

• God is the author of sin and evil
• Human beings have absolutely no will whatsoever
• Individuals are not responsible for their own decisions and actions
• Justification occurs in eternity, not in time
• God does not command all people to repent of sin
• Not everyone is required to believe upon Christ Jesus for salvation
• God creates unbelief in the hearts of the non-elect
• Assurance of election must be sought prior to repentance and faith
• Election is evident simply by a profession of faith, regardless of sanctification (antinomianism)
• Saving faith is equivalent to believing predestination (only “Calvinists” are Christians)
• Limited atonement must be believed in order to hear the gospel and be saved
• Salvation is not connected with the “visible” Church**
• Scripture is to be interpreted only by individuals, not by the Church**
• Evangelism is unnecessary, or even wrong
• The sacraments are not a means of grace, but rather obstacles to salvation by faith alone**
• God has no love whatsoever for humanity in His providence (common grace)

When one or more of these tenets is held, hyper-Calvinism may very well have taken root.  If you’ve found these beliefs developing in your life, my prayer is that they may be weeded out by the grace of God.

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*The two major Calvinistic views of the divine decrees in relation to redemption/reprobation are supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism.  Infralapsarianism (sometimes called “sublapsarianism”) believes the divine decree to permit the Fall logically preceded the decree of election.  In other words, God contemplated all of humanity in relation to the Fall and chose the elect for salvation through Jesus Christ while determining to pass over the non-elect and leaving them to their own sinful desires and choices.

**These points do not necessarily constitute hyper-Calvinism, though they are often found among those advocating the system.

FOR FURTHER READING (Free Online Sources):

A Primer on Hyper-Calvinism by Phillip R. Johnson

All House and No Doors by C. Matthew McMahon

The Emergence of Hyper-Calvinism by Peter Toon

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